Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination: Key Concepts

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination, aimed at helping students understand and recall critical concepts before their exam.

Stereotypes

Beliefs or associations linking a whole group of people with certain traits or characteristics.

Prejudice

Negative feelings about others based on their connection to a social group.

Discrimination

Negative behaviors directed against persons because of their membership in a particular group.

Racism

Prejudice and discrimination based on a person's racial background or institutional practices promoting the domination of one racial group over another.

Sexism

Prejudice and discrimination based on a person’s gender, promoting the domination of one gender over another.

Privilege

Unearned rights, advantages, and immunities one has due to being part of a privileged group.

Ingroup Favoritism

The tendency to favor one's own group over others.

Outgroup Homogeneity Effect

The perception that outgroup members are more similar to each other than they really are.

Social Identity Theory

A theory stating that a person's sense of who they are is based on their group memberships.

Contact Hypothesis

The idea that under certain conditions, direct contact between hostile groups can reduce prejudice.

Stereotype Threat

The concern about being evaluated based on negative stereotypes about one’s group, which can lead to underperformance.

Automatic Stereotype Activation

The process by which stereotypes can be activated in our minds without awareness.

Microaggressions

Everyday slights and indignities experienced by marginalized populations.

Intergroup Contact

The interaction between members of different social groups, which can reduce prejudice under ideal conditions.

Realistic Conflict Theory

The theory suggesting that competition for limited resources leads to prejudice and discrimination.

Aversive Racism

A form of racial bias that involves ambivalent attitudes of fair-mindedness mixed with unrecognized prejudicial feelings.

Implicit Racism

Racism that operates unconsciously and unintentionally.